2.5.3

Threats to Glaciated Landscapes

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Threats Facing Glacial Landscapes

Active and relict glacial landscapes are facing threats from a range of natural hazards and human activities. These include avalanches, floods, tourism, reservoir construction and deforestation.

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Natural threats

  • The incidence of avalanches is increasing as numbers of skiers increase, and more off-piste and extreme skiing takes place.
  • Glacial outburst floods (jökulhlaups in Iceland) occur when large volumes of meltwater are caused by geothermal heating or volcanic eruptions beneath glaciers.
    • E.g. in 1996, the Grímsvötn volcano under the Vatnajökull glacier caused a jökulhlaup with a flood flow rate of 50,000m3 per second, which destroyed parts of Iceland’s main ring road.
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Threats from human activity

  • Rising numbers of tourists have caused damage to the fragile ecology by the construction of ski resort facilities, trampling (soil erosion) and litter.
  • Deforestation also leads to soil erosion and landslides.
  • Construction of dams and reservoirs leads to major changes to the landscape and hydrology of areas.
  • Air pollution levels are also rising as vehicle numbers increase due to all of the above.

Threats to Glacial Landscapes from Global Warming

Active and relict glacial landscapes are facing the threat of global warming.

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Rising temperatures

  • Rising global temperatures create a threat to ice masses and glaciated areas.
  • Higher temperatures lead to negative mass balances and shrinking glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets.
  • Periglacial areas will experience melting permafrost and changes to the tundra ecosystem and its biodiversity.
  • Changes to the hydrological cycle may lead to a loss of water supply in some areas.
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Effects of meltwater

  • There may be increased flood risk as extreme heat conditions in summer cause increases in river discharge.
  • Low meltwater levels may limit the functioning of HEP schemes or fail to 'flush' out rivers, causing low water quality.
  • There may be changes in the sediment load of glacial meltwater streams - either becoming full of sediment because of low flow and increasing the risk of flooding, or rising during melting events, increasing the risk to lives and property.

Jump to other topics

1Tectonic Processes & Hazards

2Option 2A: Glaciated Landscapes & Change

3Option 2B: Coastal Landscapes & Change

4Globalisation

5Option 4A: Regenerating Places

6Option 4B: Diverse Places

7The Water Cycle & Water Insecurity (A2 only)

8The Carbon Cycle & Energy Security (A2 only)

9Superpowers (A2 only)

10Option 8A: Health & Human Rights (A2 only)

11Option 8B: Migration & Identity (A2 only)

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